Rubens
Rubens (ルーベンス Rūbensu) is a major character from the Jumi story arc of Legend of Mana. A member of the Jumi race, Rubens possesses a core of ruby and is the Knight of Lady Diana, the leader of his people. A pessimistic individual by nature, he is said to have given up everything, including hope for the restoration of the endangered Jumi race. Profile Background Rubens, alongside his fellow Jumi, lived in the Bejeweled City. In a brief mirage in the Teardrop Crystal, it is shown that he and the others are getting ready to run from the city. Rubens must have covertly decided to flee to the Gato Grottos, which is where he would stay until the game's events. Also, Rubens was very strict about keeping his race a secret; he feared that people will come after him for the Flame of Hope (Rubens' core), since Jumi Cores contain magical properties of healing and life. Jumi Story Arc During this time, Rubens is seen in a fork nearby the Waterfall and The Temple of Healing. If Elazul tagged along with the Hero/Heroine, then Elazul would raise the question for a second if Rubens was a Jumi, but Rubens would dodge that by saying that Elazul must have thought about somebody else. When the Hero/Heroine, Elazul (if he was in the party by this time), and the pet are off the screen, Sandra drops a note to Rubens, warning him that she would come after the Flame of Hope. When the Sproutling with a ravaging bellyache meets Rubens and the nun (Sandra in disguise), the nun tells Rubens to try to heal the Sproutling with his core, which Rubens does so reluctantly, but stops partway. When the nun presses Rubens as to why he will not heal the Sproutling, he merely says that he doesn't want to hurt anybody. The nun calls him weak, no good to protect anybody, to which Rubens just remains silent. When the Hero/Heroine and Elazul speak to him again, Rubens is the one to ask if Elazul was a Jumi, to which he responds that he is not only a Jumi, but also the Jumi Knight of Lapis Lazuli, leading to Elazul guessing if Rubens was the Jumi Knight of Ruby. Rubens then chastises Elazul for revealing his identity; people would still be hunting the cores of any living Jumi. Elazul then says that he is looking for any living Jumi so he can reform the Jumi race once more. Rubens then questions Elazul's intentions, and Elazul says that it was only the natural thing to do. Rubens then calls Elazul's intentions stupid for thinking this. Elazul tries to tell Rubens that in other human's eyes, they looked like nothing more than living, breathing, balls of jewelry which is why Elazul is trying to reform the race. Rubens then grows tired of these shenanigans, and says if they had enough of the tomfoolery, to which Elazul decides not to waste his breath on a lost cause anymore. Elazul then tells the Hero/Heroine to not tell Pearl about Rubens as it would worsen her condition. After they (Hero/Heroine & Elazul) return to the same spot, the nun that was seen earlier will interrogate about Rubens' hesitation of healing the Sproutling and about the Popo Bug that was inside the Sproutling, Rubens says that he doesn't want to meddle in anybody's affairs and doesn't want anybody poking their nose into his business, in perspective. Then he promptly commands the nun to leave him alone about the matter. The nun refuses to back off, and then strikes Rubens' core, thus weakening him. After this, Elazul and the Hero/Heroine tries to stop the nun, but warns that she will kill Rubens (by obviously snatching his core, which she would have done anyway) and then Rubens would ask what the nun wants from him and then she demands that Rubens would shed tears as Jumi Tears are famous for reviving Jumi and completely healing them, and beg for his life. Rubens then tries to say he cannot shed tears as he is suffering from the attack (The reason for this is ever since Florina, the Clarius of the Jumi, had been hidden away by Alex, the Jumi changed to preserve themselves and lose their ability to cry. Sandra refuses to believe that, however). She then just steals Rubens' core, The Flame of Hope, and bolts for the Caucan Bird's nest. Then Inspector Boyd arrives too late, and accuses the Hero/Heroine of being Sandra and tells the Hero/Heroine to "take off that weird hat/remove those sticks in her hair" to which Elazul says the contrary (Rubens will say the contrary if Elazul is not present). If Elazul is present, the Rubens tries to say Diana's name, but he cannot speak very good and is dying at Elazul's knees without the Flame of Hope. Before Elazul can ask Rubens who should he tell Rubens' love to in Geo, Rubens' body is then castoff to The Underworld, to which he will be seen later. He has not given up, because that was the way of the Jumi. After the Teardrop Crystal After the battle with the Lord of Jewels 999 & 1000, the Hero/Heroine sheds a tear for all of the Jumi that have fallen, Rubens included, and he/she is petrified into a lifeless stone statue. Afterwards, the Jumi revive the Hero/Heroine because he/she had revived all of the Jumi. They do this with their tears, despite the unknown amount of life force it takes from their bodies. After a scene, the Hero/Heroine is revived. After this, if Rubens is talked to in the Bejeweled City, Rubens merely thanks the Hero/Heroine. However, there is continued dialogue if the Hero/Heroine keep talking to Rubens, and changes depending on whether the protagonist has Blackpearl or Elazul in your party. Personality Right from the point at which he is first introduced in Legend of Mana, Rubens has been portrayed as one who cuts a figure of melancholic pessimism, completely devoid of the ability to see the light of hope in the world existing around him. In response to a nun's taunting reminder of his position as the Knight of Diana in The Flame of Hope, Rubens assumes an evasive stance, never truly addressing the matter and persisting on a desire to be "left alone". Despite this immense negativity, however, once Rubens is without his Flame of Hope in the Underworld, he has not given up his will and has regained it. Once he is restored to life thanks to the Hero/Heroine's Teardrop Crystal, he reverts to his rather serious and non-loquacious self, but is no longer full of pessimism. In-Game Character Information Category:Legend of Mana Characters Category:Characters